Labor as a punishment for crime has been prevalent in society since before Greek and Roman times. By the time that the United States was established, millennia of "inmate labor" had set the example as the prime means of punishing criminals. Crime and punishment had become so much of a problem that it was necessary to have prisoners manufacture products to raise money for the construction of new prisons and the upkeep of inmate programs. However, it wasn't until the mid-1980's that prison labor was really expanded and brought to the attention of everyday citizens.

The Prison System has grown and prospered throughout the history of the United States, but the 1980's brought about a substantial increase in the amount of prisons in America. From 1980 to the end of the century, the amount of private prisons, alone, increased from about one or two to over 150. By the year 2000, there were 1,023 state prisons in the country (2006 statistics not available). Pressure placed on the economy by this obscene amount of prisons is immense, which justifies the popularity and enforcement of prison industry. The idea is that prison should not be a free ticket out of regular society. Prisoners should be given the responsibility of paying for their crime and their time.

Although the idea of prisoners paying their dues to society through labor while incarcerated is justified, it does not mean that the system is entirely fair. The Prison Industry Authority (PIA), in charge of prison industry in California, provides a perfect example for how under-developed the prison labor system truly is. The goal of the PIA is to provide work for inmates in order to increase their skills and chances of employment upon release, as well as, to generate enough income from the sales of prison-made goods to make the prison system virtually self-supporting. Though this is a lovely idea, in theory; in practice it has not yet been successful.

When it comes down to it, prisoners employed by prison industries are not much more than modern-day slaves. Though they do have the right to refuse to work, it is uncommon due to the financial hardships placed upon them for their own imprisonment. Once employed, inmates find themselves in a variety of different jobs and work environments. Most commonly though, they find themselves in an inadequately ventilated, out-dated factory deep within the bowels of the prison. In these factories they are expected to perform tasks that vary from telemarketing to operating textile machines and it is all done for very low pay.

When faced with the topic of this project, "Living the Low-Wage Life," I wanted to find a subject that nobody else would research. Many people overlook the situation of US convicts, even though they make up a substantial part of our population. Many find that it is a sore subject, and it is, but it is also a very interesting and important aspect of our society. After researching the US Prison System and the lives of the inmates, I can honestly say that prison inmates live the "low-wage life."

Link: English II Class Homepage